The present invention relates to a machine for testing structural integrity of a seat and its head restraint. More particularly, a tester is disclosed for applying force loads to a back portion of a vehicle seat and measuring deflection thereof.
Motor vehicle seats must comply with structural integrity specifications mandated by governmental bodies. Commonly, the specifications are pursuant to required testing procedures. One such test procedure, determines the structural integrity of the back portion of a vehicle seat by applying isolated force loads to the front face of the seat back and head restraint and is set forth by the United States Department of Transportation as Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 202. This test includes applying separate isolated loads to the lower back portion of the seat and the head restraint referenced to moments about a pivot axis that corresponds to hip-lower back connection joint of a human body, commonly called the "seat reference point" (SRP). The test is intended to simulate the types of forces the seat must withstand. Other countries require similar tests. For example, passenger car seats used in Europe must comply with European Standard ECE Regulation 17.
Although testers have been developed to perform these tests, often these testers require lengthy setup and operation times in order to provide the desired test results. As such, there exists a need for a seat head restraint tester that can be operated quickly and efficiently yet maintain required accuracy.